Open House Agenda: 3 Apartments to See This Weekend

NEW YORK — August can be a slow month for real estate, with buyers going on vacation or getting kids ready to return to school and sellers waiting until September to list units. Still, some new properties do hit the market now.

Here are three listed within the past week worth checking out in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

Lowdown: This pre-war one-bedroom is in the landmarked Plymouth Court, designed in 1916 by architect George H. Wells for the Queensboro Corporation. It was one of the first buildings to convert to a cooperative, in 1920, said Barbara Cavanaugh, of Douglas Elliman.

The sellers updated the bathroom a couple years ago and renovated the kitchen within the past year, as well as installed a “major walk-in closet,” Cavanaugh said.

The top-floor walk-up gets “tons of light” from east, west and south exposures. Pre-war details include high ceilings, oak flooring “in good condition,” a dumbwaiter and a “cute” built-in breadbox beneath the window in the kitchen. “It’s been painted shut, but could be opened,” Cavanaugh noted.

The unit also could be converted by making the current living room a second bedroom and the foyer the living/dining area, Cavanaugh explained. The vintage chandelier comes with the apartment, but the sellers are taking the shelving in the living room.

The common hallways still have the building’s original stained glass. There’s additional shared storage in the basement. The co-op board requires 25 percent down.

Location: The building is part of the Jackson Heights Historic District and is in an most an area that boasts destination-worthy ethnic restaurants and shops.

The 7 train is 1.5 blocks away at 82nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue. The E, F, M and R are at 74 Street, a short walk or one stop away on the train. “You’re in Midtown in less than 15 minutes,” Cavanaugh said.

Why put it on your open house calendar? “First is location. Second the apartment is big and open and spacious — it’s a beautiful space with light and no one over you,” Cavanaugh said. “And the pricing is great for the neighborhood. Value is definitely going up; now is the time to buy there before it goes crazy.”

Lowdown: This top-floor apartment is one of just three in a 2007 Bushwick condo. Each floor of the self-managed building gets a perk: first floor, back yard; second floor, parking; this apartment, the private roof deck, said Justine Lee-Mills, of Corcoran Group.

The living room has near floor-to-ceiling windows for a “great view of the Sycamore trees along Covert Street,” Lee-Mills said, adding, “It’s the only legal three-bedroom in the building, because of the skylight.” The sellers, however, outfitted the closet with a built-in desk and use it as an office, she added.

The built-in shelves in the living room are large enough for 12-inch records. The only other change the owner made after buying was to upgrade the lighting.

The 1,300-square-foot roof deck has storage under its wooden benches, and a bin was built around the hose hook-up so it can out of sight when not in use. In addition to the deck, the apartment has a balcony off the bedroom and a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom.

The basement space includes private storage, laundry and a shared work space that the owners, “who are all artists, use to create stuff.”

Location: This Bushwick building is near the Bed-Stuy border. “Gallery spaces and cafes are opening along that corner of Broadway,” said Lee-Mills, who lives in the neighborhood and runs the Facebook page Bushwick is Better.

The Halsey station on the J train is two blocks away. It’s two stops to the L and Z at Broadway Junction.

Why put it on your open house calendar? Aside from recommending the neighborhood, “this is like an oasis in your own home, with three ways to relax: terrace, roof and Jacuzzi,” Lee-Mills said.

Lowdown: The 42-unit Omni, constructed in 1989, was once a dormitory for a nearby hospital, but developers converted it to condos in 2006, said Jim Morano, of Skygroup Realty.

Highlights of this one-bedroom penthouse include its “amazing” three exposures: north, south and east, its two balconies on either end of the unit, plus a private roof deck with near 360-degree city views, which is accessed through a keyed elevator.

“The architect came in [for the conversion] and upgraded everything — appliances, wood flooring, granite countertops, fixtures and finishes,” Morano noted, adding that the apartment, even though a resale, is still in great shape. “It’s a great use of space.”

Still, there are only two closets in the unit, but it comes with a “huge” storage locker in the basement, for $2 per month, Morano said.

Building amenities include a 24-hour doorman, cold storage, gym, laundry in basement, and a “first-floor outdoor space with lounge chairs and a barbecue grill.”

Why put on your open house calendar? “What stands out is the three exposures, two balconies and roof deck for under $1 million,” Morano said. “For the Upper East Side, you can’t beat it. It’s also very easily rentable.”

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